City Cast Twin Cities
Join Sean McPherson and the City Cast Twin Cities team every weekday morning as we bring you the day's conversations about life in the Twin Cities. With our cast of journalists, activists, experts and residents, we celebrate our wins with beaming pride, critique our shortcomings with the attention of a seed art judge and mutter “that’s interesting” for anything in between. Alongside our daily newsletter, we put the spotlight on the news and culture of the Twin Cities from every perspective we can find – including yours. It’s like a potluck where everyone’s invited and no one brings grape salad. So whether you've been here long enough to remember the Halloween blizzard of 1991, or you just bought your first winter coat, bring your dish over and let's talk. Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at twincities.citycast.fm.
Episodes
February 9, 2026 • 36 mins
Cherise Ayers is the celebrated Principal of Saint Paul Central. Ayers joins host Sean McPherson to explain how she fights chaos with consistency and why she keeps an emergency pom-pom in the car so she can always celebrate one of her students. Later, MPR Newsroom coordinator and City Cast contributor Denzel Belin highlights events for this Valentine’s Day week, and we feature Crescent Moon and Andrew Broder for our Local Music Spo...
Mark as Played
February 6, 2026 • 40 mins
After Border czar Tom Homan announced that 700 immigration enforcement officers would leave Minnesota, reports emerged that county sheriffs were exploring ways to honor "ICE detainers" despite state law barring them from holding inmates beyond their release dates. It's legally complicated, and thankfully Ana Pottratz Acosta, a visiting law professor at the University of Minnesota and a lawyer specializing in immigration and human r...
Mark as Played
February 5, 2026 • 35 mins
Tom Homan, the White House border czar, announced on Wednesday that 700 federal agents will be drawing back from Minnesota. But the president’s goal of mass deportation is still front and center. We’ll talk about how local law enforcement is collaborating with federal immigration and what Homan has to say to protesters in the streets. Director Siddeeqah Shabazz tells us about her stellar all-kid cast in “Home on The Mornin’ Train.”...
Mark as Played
February 4, 2026 • 35 mins
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her took office just three days before Renee Macklin Good was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Today she joins host Sean McPherson and contributor Tane Danger to reflect on what has worked, what hasn't worked, and how she plans to lead the city after a chaotic first month in charge.
Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her replaces deputy mayor set-up for four...
Mark as Played
February 3, 2026 • 30 mins
Operation Metro Surge faced another test in federal court this weekend, and while a judge declined to pause the operation for now, her words signaled just how devastating its impact has been across Minnesota. We break down what the ruling actually means, why Columbia Heights schools are under intense strain, and why Liam Conejo Ramos’ return home still matters when so many other children remain detained.
Plus, the Twin Cities’ art...
Mark as Played
February 2, 2026 • 34 mins
Tish Jones is an award-winning, trailblazing poet and the executive director of TruArtSpeaks. The arts collective, which focuses on nurturing young artists through the medium of hip-hop and Spoken Word, is celebrating 20 years. Jones reflects on the highlights and discusses her poem “The Children Are Watching,” performed at a Timberwolves game earlier this month. Also, we’re making “enjoy the world you’re fighting for” our mantra. ...
Mark as Played
January 30, 2026 • 48 mins
With border czar Tom Homan now heading up ICE operations in the Twin Cities, many folks are positioning him as a more moderate voice than the previous leadership – but is that true? Host Sean McPherson is joined by contributor PaviElle French to dig into Homan's background, what he's been saying now, and why protests of ICE's occupation seem noticeably "whiter" than protests following the murder of George Floyd. Later, local rapper...
Mark as Played
January 29, 2026 • 39 mins
Every movement needs some music. The Twin Cities United Performers put out a call for protest music and got an overwhelming response. Organizers Nadi of Gully Boys and Dante of Space Monkey Mafia and Runaway Ricochet talk about how musicians are meeting the moment. Plus, we’ve heard your complaints about St. Paul’s plowing. We bring on Sean Kershaw, director of Public Works for the city, who says it’s not an engineering problem, b...
Mark as Played
January 28, 2026 • 41 mins
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino has been sent back to California, where he is expected to return to his previous job and retire soon. In the meantime, President Trump has sent in border czar Tom Homan to head up ICE's ongoing operations in the Twin Cities. Host Sean McPherson and contributor Tane Danger break down what this means for the Twin Cities, and unpack an ongoing court case that could spell the end of Operation Metro S...
Mark as Played
January 27, 2026 • 34 mins
Have you ever wondered which Twin Cities restaurant has the best toilet paper? Amber runs Twin Cities Toilet Paper Reviews and talks about how TP helped her find community. Em Cassel, contributor and co-owner of Racket, shares a story about how Copper Hen on Eat Street opened its doors to protesters over the weekend. We also get fancy-shmancy and predict which Minnesota restaurants and chefs will win a James Beard Award.
Learn mo...
Mark as Played
January 26, 2026 • 51 mins
The Twin Cities are reeling after federal agents killed two residents in less than three weeks. Sean McPherson talks with Creative Producers Tiffany Bui and Adam Sage about the latest events of the weekend before we start the original episode we had planned, where poet and activist Kyle Tran Myhre discusses what artists can do in a time of crisis – from convening audiences to turning poetry, zines, and whistles into tools for commu...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2026 • 13 mins
A lot of folks are wondering right now what it’s like to be in the Twin Cities, where a massive and aggressive deportation operation is taking place. Today, in -20° weather, local activists organized a general strike. The idea was to protest ICE presence with no work, no school, and no shopping. Over 600 businesses closed their doors, and thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis. Our City Cast Twin Cities team was o...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2026 • 34 mins
Today, across the Twin Cities, businesses are closed, workers are staying home, and people are marching in the street for a “Day of Truth and Freedom” protesting ICE. We talk to union historian Amy Livingston at the University of Minnesota about why unions aren’t calling it a “strike” and the power of past movements like this one. We’re also joined by Anne Meyer at the state Department of Transportation about why everyone seems to ...
Mark as Played
January 22, 2026 • 40 mins
Last week, activists interrupted a worship service at the Cities Church in St. Paul to protest pastor David Easterwood, who serves as the acting director of ICE's St. Paul field office. Amid charges being filed against protestors by the DOJ and complicated reactions from the community, Reverend Dr. DeWayne Davis joins host Sean McPherson and journalist Winter Keefer to discuss the moral and legal implications of protesting inside a...
Mark as Played
January 21, 2026 • 41 mins
The White House and other federal agencies are “doing it for the ‘Gram,” and it has real-life consequences. Contributor and host of Never Post, Hans Buetow, talks about how the Trump administration is turning ICE arrests into content in order to further their immigration agenda. Minneapolis and St. Paul are temporarily changing their towing policies to accommodate cars abandoned due to ICE detentions. Finally, we open up that mailb...
Mark as Played
January 20, 2026 • 38 mins
Every neighborhood in the Twin Cities has folks who are coordinating with each other to track the location of ICE vehicles and make sure people are at the scene to observe and document when ICE agents detain people. Minnesota Reformer's Madison McVan joins host Sean McPherson and producer Tiffany Bui to talk about her experience riding along on patrol with some of these community members, less than a week after the killing of Renee...
Mark as Played
January 16, 2026 • 34 mins
A week after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Macklin Good, a federal officer shot a man in the leg in north Minneapolis. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but the city is once again reeling from the display of force. City Cast producer Adam Sage reports back from the aftermath, where law enforcement set off chemical irritants and flash bangs against protesters. Plus, contributor and reporter Winter Keefer explains ...
Mark as Played
January 15, 2026 • 40 mins
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, Jan. 19, and it's more than a day off work. Multidisciplinary artist Namir Fearce is directing this year's Black, Bold, and Brilliant Youth Talent Show, taking place from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Capri Theater, and he joined host Sean McPherson to chat about the show and how his organization partners with and serves Black families in the community. Racket co-founder Em Cassel and pr...
Mark as Played
January 14, 2026 • 40 mins
Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the federal government to stop Operation Metro Surge, as another 1,000 agents are expected to be deployed in the state. In more trash news, MinnPost reporter Trevor Mitchell talks about the trash-burning machine you may have seen (or smelled) near North Loop. Local officials have been working on plans to shut down the HERC, but it’s not soon enough for activists who are threatening a hunger s...
Mark as Played
January 13, 2026 • 38 mins
The immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities is showing no signs of slowing down, with around 1,000 more federal agents coming our way. The Trump administration is freezing funding for SNAP again, the Minnesota Attorney General and Hennepin County Attorney's Offices are conducting their own investigation into the killing of Renee Macklin Good after the FBI shut out local investigators, and elected leaders in D.C. are starti...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.